Trolley-pole support.



PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907. H. W. PELLOWS 6v I. A. CAMMETT.

TROLLEY POLE SUPPORT.

`Ammonium rum: un. 15. 1905.

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HUGH W. FELLOWS, OF CAHUENGA, AND IRA A. CAMMETT, OF HOLLYWOOD,CALIFORNIA.

TROLLEY-POLE SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application filed September 15,1905. Serial No. 278,590.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, I-IUGH W. FELLows and IRA A. CAMME'r'r, bothcitizens of the United States, said FEL- Lows residing at Cahuenga andsaid GAMMETT at Hollywood, both in the county of Los Angeles and Stateof California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTrolley-Pole Supports, of which the following is a specificationaccompanied by drawings.

Our invention relates to trolley pole supports and provides means forholding the trolley wheel in Contact with the current conveying wire,means for automatically releasing the pole and permitting it to drop toa median disengaged position below the wire when the wheel jumps upwardfrom the wire, and manually operated means for returning the pole to itswire engaging position.

Figure l is a side elevation of our device showing the pole in itsoperative position. Fig. 2 is a partial longitudinal section showing thepole in differentl positions.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section through the line` 3-3, Fig. 2.Fig. 4 is a partial longitudinal section showingthe pole in fallen ordisengaged position.

l designates a sub base suitably secured to the roof 2 of the car.

3 is a base swiveled on the sub base l by means of a headed pin 3l. Thebase 3 has vertically extending sides 32 and an arc-shaped lower portion33 formed with ratchet teeth 34 and having a horn 35 at its rear end.Extending rearwardly from the base 3 is a spring carrying rod 36. ,On apintle 38 between the sides 32 of the base 3 is swung a tension arm 4having a bifurcate body 41 and an arm portion 42, between the outerbifurcate ends 43 of which is pivoted a pole arm 5. From the body 41extends vertically an arch-shaped pole arm guide 37. Two rods 6 arepivoted by means of eyes 6l at their forward ends, one at each side oithe body 41. The rods 6 extend rearwardly, one on each side of the rod36, and have longitudinally adjustable connection by means of nuts 62with a collar 63 sliding on the rod 36. A thrust spring 39 on the rod 36extends between the collars 63 and the rear of the base 3, and tends toturn the tension arm 4 on the pivot 38 so as to depress the forward end43 ofY the arm. A dash pot 310 in the arm portion 42 receives a piston5l connected by a link 52 pivoted at one end to the piston and at itsupper end to a' lug 53 in the pole arm 5. A second lug` 54 on the polearm 5 is located approximately above the rear end of a body portion 4lof the tension arm 4, and is connected thereto bya toggle brace 7 formedof two parts 7l and 72 pivoted together at 73. The lower end of thebrace portion 72 has a pivot pin 74 turning in slots 44 at the upperrear corner of the tension arm body 4l. At the lower end of the portion72 is a cam 75 having a notch 76. A crosspin 45 connects the sides 41 ofthe tension arm body, as is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Pivoted onVanother cross pin 46 between the sides 4l is a lever 8 having anupturned lug 8l. The other or forward end of the lever 8 is connected bya link 82 to a dog 83 pivoted on a pin 47 in the body 4l. A thrustspring 84 between the lever 8 and the dog 83 normally forces the tooth85 of the dog into engagement with one of the teeth 34 in the base 3 andalso' forces the lug 81 of the lever 8 against the lower end of a togglebrace 7.

The operation of our device is as follows: When the parts are in theposition shown in full lines, Figs. l and 2, the trolley wheel 56supported at the end of the pole 55, shown in` dotted lines, Fig. l, isin contact with the current carrying wire. Owing to the resiliency ofthe spring 39, the wheel 56 will be permitted suiicient motion in avertical direction to follow the undulations of the wire. It is ofcourse understood that the base 3 turns in the sub base l so that thehorizontal bends of the wire are also followed in the usual manner. Inits operative position the pole 55 and pole arm 5 are held by the togglebrace 7, which consists of the two portions 7la and 72, which are in anearly extended position, but so that the pivot pin in the lug 54, thepivot 73 and the pivot 74 are not quite in alineinent. It will be seenby reference to Fig. 2 that the lower portion 72of the brace 7 isprevented from turning on its pivot 74 by reason of the engagement ofthe pin 45 in the arm portion 4 with the recess 76 in the cam 75, whichforms the lower end of the portion 72. It will be seen that at the sametime the cam 75 is pressing down on the lug 8l of the lever 8,

which acts through the .link 82 to hold the tooth 85 of the dog 83 outof operative engagement with any of the teeth 34 in the base 3. If,owing to any accident, the trolley wheel 56 escapes from the contactwire, it is drawn suddenly and sharply upward by the force of the spring39. The effect of this is, through the inertia of the pole arm 5 and thepole 55, and through the thrilst of the spring 84 on the toggle brace 7exerted through the lever 8 to lift the pin 74 to the upper end of theslot 44, in which it plays. This releases the cam portion 75 from thepin 45 and permits the brace 7 to assume the jointed position shown indotted lines, Fig. l, in which position the wheel 56 is lowered beneaththe trolley wires and necessarily below the cross wires by which theseare supported. At the same time, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 4,the lug 8 1 on the lever 8 bears against the low portion of the cam 75and permits the spring 84 to force the tooth 85 of the dog 83 intoengagement Awith one ofthe teeth 34 ofthe base portion 3. This preventsany vertical rebounding of the pole and in general prevents the spring36, acting through the arm 4, from lifting the pole arm 5 and pole 55into a more nearly vertical position.

It will be noted that by reason of the plurality of teeth 34 anyimproper or considerable upward Inovement ofthe pole is preventedWithout regard to the angle at which the pole 55 stood when in contactwith the current wire. In fact, the entire device is operative to dropthe pole when accidentally disengaged from the wire by approximately thesame upward movement oi the pole whatever the height of the wire abovethe top oi the car.

When it is desired to replace the trolley wheel 56 in contact with thetrolley wire, the operator, by means of the usual cord, not shown, pullsdown the pole 55 so as to bring the arm 5 into the position shown indotted lines, Fig. 2. The adjacent ends oi the brace portions 71 and 72then bear upon the horn 35 oi the base 3 so that the further lowering ofthe pole arm by the action of the operator straightens out the brace 7.At the same time the cam 75 again bears against the lug 81 so as tocompress the spring 84 and also to lift the tooth 85 of the dog 84 outoi engagement with the ratchet teeth of the base 3, and the recess 76 onthe cam 75 is again engaged with the pin 45 on the arm portion 4 so asto maintain the brace 7 in its nearly straight position. The operatorthen, by means oi the cord, permits the pole arm 5 and the pole 55 torise to their operative position and engages the wheel 56 with the wire.

It is evident that the effect oi the movement ot the piston 51 in thedash pot 310 is to prevent the sudden dropping of the pole when thewheel is accidentally disengaged from the wire.

It is obvious that many changes may be made in the mechanicalconstruction oi our device without departing from the spirit o theinvention.

The advantages of the invention lie in the fact that when the trolleywheel jumps upward from the wire it immediately and automatically dropsdown to a posi- 4tion where it will not engage with the cross wires orcross arms, and that it is readily replaceable in its position in theusual manner, and .that the dropping of the pole is independent of theangle of the pole when in its operative position. This latter andimportant advantage is gained by the action of the spring 84 which actsinstantly when the pole is released from the downward pressure of thetrolley wire both to lift the pole and the pole arm and to engage thedog 83 with a tooth 34 of the ratchet in the base portion 33.

It will be noted that the trolley pole oi the present iny vention is arigid pole, by which term is meant that the pole is continuous from endto end, having no hinged or broken portion.

On November 23rd, 1905 we filed an application for an automatic trolleybase, one oi the features of which is a toggle brace consisting oi twoparts pivoted together. It is evident that we do not herein claim any oithe specic features shown, described or claimed in that application.

1. In a trolley pole support, a pivotally supported rigid pole, a springfor raising said pole into operative contact with the wire, a jointedbrace through which the raising effect of said spring is transmitted tosaid pole, means for normally holding said brace in its operativeposition spring actuated means for releasing it from such operativeposition when the pole is raised above the wire, whereby the pole ispermitted to drop below the wire, means for limiting the upward movementof the pole, and mechanism for moving said limiting means out ofoperative position.

2. In a trolley pole support, a base, apart pivoted on said base, a polearm pivoted on said part, a jointed brace between said part and saidpole arm for supporting the latter, means providing pivotalandflongitudinal movement between said brace and one of the partsbetween which it extends, and a projection positionedito engage saidbrace and maintain it inan approximately right line when the free end ofthe pole is in operative contact with the trolley wire and to releasesaid brace when the pole rises above its operative position,

3. In a trolley pole support, a base, a tooth on said base, a partpivoted on said base, a dogr on said part for engaging with said tooth,a pole arm pivoted on said part, a jointed brace between said part andsaid pole arm for supporting the latter, a projection on said partpositioned to engage said brace and maintain it in an approximatelyright line when the free end of the pole is in operative contact withthe trolley .wire and to release said brace when the pole rises aboveits operative position, and means for holding said dog out of engagementwith said tooth when said brace is in its right line position.

4. In a trolley pole support, a base, a part pivoted on said base, apole arm pivoted on said part, a jointed brace between said part andsaid pole arm for supporting the latter, means for normally engagingsaid brace to maintain it in an approximately right line, said engagingmeans being constructed and fitted to release said brace when said armis raised above its operative position, and means on said base forreturning said brace to its approximately right line position and forree'ngaging it with said engaging means when said pole arm is manuallylowered.

5. In a trolley pole support, a base, a part pivoted on said base, apole arm pivoted on said part, a jointed brace between said part andsaid pole arm for supporting the latter, means for normally maintainingsaid brace in an approximately right line, said maintaining means beingconstructed and tted to release said brace when said arm is raised aboveits operative position, and a dash pot for retarding the dropping ofsaid pole arm.

6. In a trolley pole support, a pivotally supported rigid pole, meansfor raising the contact end of the pole into operative position againstthe wire, means for releasing said raising means and thereby permittingthe pole to drop to a non-operative position below the wire, saidreleasing means being operated by an upward angular movement of theentire pole from its operative position, the angle of releasing movementof' the pole being independent of the angle of such operative positionand means disengageable from its operative position by an additionaldownward movement of the pole for preventing the raising of the polefrom such non-operative position.

'l'. In a trolley pole support, a pivotally supported rigid pole, meansincluding a toggle brace for holding the contact end of the pole intooperative position against the wire, means for releasing said raisingmeans and thereby permitting the pole to drop to a non-operativeposition 'below the wire, said releasing means being operated by anupward angular movement of the entire pole from its operative position,the angle of releasing movement of the pole being independent of theangle of such operative position, means for preventing the raising ofthe pole from such non-operative position, and means for disengagingsaid preventing means operative by a further downward movement of thepole.

8. In a trolley pole support, a pivotally supported rigid pole, meansfor raising the contact end of the pole into operative position againstthe wire, means for releasing vsaid raising means and thereby permittingthe p01@ to drop to a non-operative position below the wire, saidreleasing means being operated by an upward angular movement of theentire pole from its operative position, the angle of releasing movementof the pole being independent of the angle of such operative position,and disengageable means including a rack and a dog engageable in saidrack for preventing the raising of the pole from such non-operativeposition.

9. A trolley pole support, a base, a part pivoted on said base, a polearm pivoted on said part, a jointed brace between said part and saidpole arm for supporting the latter, means for normally maintaining saidbrace in anv permit the pole arm to drop to a non-operative position,and means engageable and disengageable by the movement of said brace forpreventing the raising of said pole arm from such non-operativeposition.

10. In a trolley pole support, a base, a tooth on said base, a partpivoted on said base, a dog on said part for engaging with said tooth, apole arm pivoted on Said part, a jointed brace between said part andsaid pole arm for supporting the latter, a projection on said partpositioned to engage said brace and maintain it in an approximatelyright line when the free end of the pole is in operative contact withthe trolley wire and to release said brace when the pole rises above itsoperative position, and connections between said brace and said dog,

whereby the movement of said brace operates to engage 15 and disengagesaid dog from said tooth, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

HUGH W. FELLOWS. IRA A. CAMMETT. Witnesses:

FRED L* SoMERs, MARVIN R. KING.

